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Show EFFICACY OF PRAYER AND THE POSITION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH EXPLAINED. Editor Intermountain Catholic: In your last issue appeared an appeal for all classes of sufferers from the ills and woes of this world, with an assured as-sured promise of relief. Names and addresses only are needed. Is this Catholic teaching? Does the Church encourage the same by its endorsement of the appeal? Being a victim of one of the ills for which a sure cure is offered, I would like to avail myself of it, but have some delicacy in giving my name. Would the wish to share in the prayers for my particular ailment entitle me to the same? Self-interest not curiosity prompts this communication. communica-tion. Yours truly, NON-CATHOLIC. The above communication has reference refer-ence to an artile headed "Prayers of the Sisters of St. Joseph" which appeared ap-peared in the columns of our last issue having reference to prayer and its effects. Before answering our correspondent correspon-dent we would say in the words of a morning contemporary: 'The New Testament tells us that the effective prayer was by the poor man, who stood afar off and cried to the Lord to have mercy on his, a sinner. The invocation of the brightest brain does not count in religion, unless it carries with it heal heart messages. Real prayer is a soul supplication and that of the illiterate old colored woman may pierce the heavens farther than that of the most brilliant orator. Devotion to the Sacred heart has the approbation f thP Church, and for very many is a means of deepening their worship for God in his sacred humanity, and as a consequence can not fail to be profitable profit-able to the soul. Its effects may be seen in Salt Lake every first Friday of the month when hundreds attend Church, approach the altar and receive re-ceive holy communion. This in itself is a most edifying scene. Our esteemed correspondent, who seems inclined to ask for some needed favor, will do well by sending the same without name or address to the League of the Sacred Heart in this city, as to Nazareth Convent, Con-vent, Chicago, Ills. In reply to his questions seriatim, we answer first. No. The promises of en, thuslastic far away nuns must not be confounded with Catholic faith. No intelligent in-telligent Catholic pays attention to such promises, as they savor of superstition. super-stition. Second. The Church does ' not encourage en-courage or endorse such appeals any more than the medical profession would endorse the advertisement of quack doctors. The council of Baltimore Balti-more condemns all such abuses. The Ordinary of this diocesis, in a published pub-lished card, which heads the editorial columns of The Intermountain Catholic for the protection and guidance of the faithful entrusted to his charge, disapproves dis-approves all such appeals. Third. We would advise and strongly strong-ly urge our Non-Catholic friend to withhold his name and address and present his ills where identity is not demanded. Before the throne of mercy it will not help his cause to have his name known, and if those zealous nuns are deeply interested in saving souls, and obtaining favors temporal or spiritual for suffering humanity, there is not reason why any should disclose their names or the secret of the family life to them. What the object, in the obtaining ob-taining names and addresses may be, we opine not. It is in no way connected con-nected with prayer nor will it influence in-fluence a merciful Father in the bestowal of favors. The Sisters of St. Joseph in "observing the pious custom of offering their prayers, mortifica tions, good works and special masses, etc., should do so in secret at the foot of the cross, like the numble Publican in the temple and not to be exposing their good deeds and great sacrifices I as did the Pharisee. The third council of Baltimore, after enumerating abuses in which the circular referred to is included, in-cluded, concludes in these words: "This abuse we strongly condemn and prohibit; and we indeed earnestly beseech Bishops and Prelates that they take care to have the aforesaid abuse where it exists abolished and in the future everywhere prevented." a |